Matthew Mancini '10 believes in living for work, rather than working for a living. He says he learned the hard way that when it comes to choosing a career, voracious passion and bread-winning should not be at odds with each other. Although it may sound cliché, Mancini knows that doing what he loves to do is his best option.

During the summer of 2006, Mancini worked for the Department of Public Works in his hometown of Fonda, N.Y. His work there was taxing; during the first month, a flood destroyed many homes and buildings, making his job even more grueling than it had been. One volunteer advised him to make sure to get his college degree so that he would not have to do such miserable work for the rest of his life. He also said he should do something he loves for a living. Mancini took the advice to heart and began to contemplate working in the sports industry after college, an idea that excited him very much.

Mancini proceeded to build his resume with internships. For the past two summers, he has worked for the Amsterdam Mohawks, a collegiate baseball team comprised of players from large schools like Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Stanford. This summer, however, he is working as an intern for the Vermont Lake Monsters, a single-A level minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals in Burlington, Vermont.

As an intern there, Mancini says he "wears many hats": for example, he helps with the pre-maintenance of the park, ventures through Burlington on the team's "Fun Patrol" to try to promote the team through distribution of prizes and pamphlets, and conducts group sales to local businesses. Moreover, he sells games tickets and manages "theme nights." The amount of time he works usually varies, but one perk is that his attendance at games counts toward those hours.

An aspect of his internship that is difficult to disregard is the communication skills it requires. Mancini is a rising senior communication major and says that this internship is very similar to the liberal arts education students receive while at Hamilton because of its multiplicity. His experience involves a comprehensive array of activities and disciplines, and Hamilton's open curriculum similarly allows students to take on diverse studies.

The communication major will help Mancini when it comes to making sales on the phone and other one-on-one tasks. "It is important to articulate and not be shy with anything that could be of importance to the people who you work with," he said. "[My major] will also come into play when I get the chance to broadcast some of the games on the radio by painting the proper picture for the listeners so they understand what is going on."

Because his internship is unpaid, Mancini needed to find an alternate source for funds that would cover the cost of living. He applied for and received The George and Martha Darcy Internship Support Fund, which Hamilton awards to students seeking internships in communications, writing, advertising/public relations, publishing, print journalism or telecommunications. Applicants must have at least a B average and must have completed their junior year. Hamilton's internship funds allow ambitious students to pursue positions that, due to the cost of living, they otherwise would not have been able to accept. Furthermore, a student can delve into a field of his or her choosing to see whether or not it is a good career path.

In Mancini's case, he is fairly certain that this is what he will do for the rest of his life. He can see himself working for a professional sports team in the future, and enjoys the notion that someday he might become an executive or a high-ranking member of a team's front office.

He knows he's aiming high. But Mancini is certainly not off in left field – he began applying for internship positions as early as December. He notes that this is the key to obtaining the perfect internship and eventually, the perfect job. Keep your options open, he says, and secure something sooner rather than later. Then you'll be somewhere in the ball park of success.